"I was beaten today by a stronger rider" - No complaints from Quentin Pacher after Wout van Aert takes breakaway spoils on stage 10 of La Vuelta 2024

The breakaway took the spoils on stage 10 of the 2024 Vuelta a Espana. In the end, it came down to Quentin Pacher and Wout van Aert in a mano a mano battle. Despite Pacher's best efforts, he could not defeat Van Aert in the sprint for the line.

“It was a really fast start with that second category climb. A leading group of five eventually formed. I still expected riders to join from the back, but that didn't happen," details the Groupama - FDJ leader in his post-stage interview, having been joined in the break by the aforementioned Van Aert, Marc Soler, William Junior Lecerf and Juri Hollmann.

"We rode extremely hard to get as big a lead as possible, until the last three climbs of the day," continues Pacher. “At the intermediate sprint, Van Aert accelerated and I had to follow. I tried to follow him afterwards. Attacking? That is not so easy. Van Aert is strong on all terrains. I just had to follow his wheel, do my best and not think too much.”

With Van Aert the far more renowned sprinter of the two and Pacher somewhat resigned to his fate, it was, almost inevitably, the Belgian who comfortably took the stage win in the fight for the line. Nevertheless, Pacher ends his breakaway escapade without any regrets. "I can be satisfied with my performance," he concludes. "I was beaten today by a stronger rider."